Padded foot protector for the bedridden



Aug? 16. 1966 Y. R. GUTTMAN PADDED FOOT PROTECTOR FOR THE BEDRIDDEN Filed May 26, 1964 /N VENTURI YOLAN R. GUTTMAN ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O 3,266,058 PADDED FOOT PROTECTOR FOR THE BEDRIDDEN Yolan R. Guttman, Bronx, N.Y. (Box 304, Radio City Station, New York 19, N .YJ Filed May 26, 1964, Ser. No. 370,263 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-239) This invention relates in general to padded articles to protect the anatomy of a wearer, and, more particularly, to padded articles of the type which may be worn by the bedridden.

When a patient spends a time in bed, the area of his body which contacts the mattress with the greatest force per given area are the elbows. When a patient props himself up, reads on his back, turns over, etc., his elbows dig into the mattress and are thus particularly susceptible to bed sores, skin abrasions, and the like. This is particularly true of elderly patients.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive protector for the elbows of a bedridden patient.

Another object of `this invention is to provide a padded elbow protector for a bedridden patient which prevents abrasion of the elbows while presenting a minimum restriction to the arm movements of the patient.

A further object of this invention is to provide a padded elbow protector for each elbow of a bedridden patient which may be easily slipped into place, which tends to remain in place without becoming dislodged, and which is easily removable.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a simple padded protector for the `foot of a bedridden patient.

Many other objects, advantages and yfeatures of invention reside in the particular construction and arrangement of parts involved in the embodiments of this invention and its practice as will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of an elbow protector according to my invention shown placed on the arm of a patient;

FIGURE 2 is a plan View of the elbow pad used in the elbow protector;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the elbow protector turned inside out to show the elbow pad fixed therein;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of a foot protector according to my invention turned inside out to show the attachment of the foot pad therein;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the stitched together elements forming the foot pad;

FIGURE 6 is a side view of the foot protector of this invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a transverse section through a Ifragment of an article and a pad `attached thereto according to this invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the elbow protector of my invention consists of a tubular sleeve element which may be of any knitted material. In a cold environment, sleeve element 10 may be made of a mixture such as 8O percent wool and 20 percent nylon. In a warm environment, it may be made from cotton or any other suitable open weave fabric. The tubular sleeve element 10 should be somewhat elastic about its circumference.

Sewed within sleeve element 10 with the stitches 11 is an elbow pad 12. Elbow pad 12 has two enlarged sideI portions 13 connected and formed integrally with a narrower center portion 14.

As shown in FIGURE 7, the elbow pad 12 may have a suitable lining 15 extend over it to be secured to the sleeve element 10 by the stitches 11. Pad 12 may be made from any resilient and compressible material such as a plastic or rubber foam, nylon un-woven matting, or the like. The lining 15 extends over the pad 12 and holds it in place. With some materials, the pad 12 may be directly fixed to the sleeve element 10.

The elbow protector of this invention is slipped over the arm as shown in FIGURE 1. The pad 12 extends with its narrower center portion 14 over the point of the elbow and with its wider side portions lalong the sides of the elbow. Since the padding 12 is less exible than the material of the sleeve element 10, flexing of the arm will tend to keep the pad 12 in position under the point of the elbow. Because pad 12 narrows in its center portion 14, -freedom of motion of the arm of a patient is not hampered or restricted as the stiier pad 12 need not bend at all during the flexing of an arm.

The elbow protector of .this invention should be made of readily washable materials so that it may be used and reused many times.

Referring now to FIGURES 4-6, the foot protector of this invention consists of a sock element 20 within which a heel or foot pad 22 is secured by means of the stitches 23. As shown in FIGURE 5, the heel pad or foot pad 22 is formed from two elements 24 and 25 which are stitched together by the stitches 26. The stitches 26 continue downward to join the bottom portions 27 and 28 of the heel portions 29 and 30. Lateral foot protecting side portions 31 and 32 extend along the sides of each foot almost up to the toes.

The foot pad 22 may be covered with a liner and secured in the same manner as has been described for the elbow protector.

When worn by a bedridden patient, the `foot pad 22 extends completely around, about, and below the heel of a user so that bed sores will not develop on it through contact with a mattress. The side portions 31 and 32 of the heel or foot pad 22 protect the sides of the feet without completely encasing the foot to make it uncomfortable or overly warm. Further, the patient may walk about without having padding below the balls of his feet.

While this invention has been shown and described in the best forms known to me, it will nevertheless be understood that these are purely exemplary and that modiii cations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except yas it may be more limited in the appended claims wherein I claim:

1. A foot protector for the bedridden comprising, in combination, a sock having toe, foot, heel, and ankle covering portions adapted to completely cover the toes, foot, heel, and ankle of a wearer, a pad comprising a rear heel covering portion and a pair of side covering portions, and means fixing said pad within said sock with said rear portion secured to the heel covering portion of said sock and one of said side portions extending along and being secured to each side of said foot covering portion of said sock substantially all the way to the toe covering portion of said sock, said pad thereby being adapted to protect the heel and thee sides of a wearers foot.

q .La 4 2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said 2,188,718 1/1940 Jung 2-24 pad additionally comprises an ankle covering portion eX- 2,552,177 5/1951 Hurt 2--24 tending upward from said heel coxfering portion and belng FOREIGN PATENTS secured to the ankle covering portion of sald sock thereby being7 adapted to protect the ankle of a wearers foot. 5 686,613 5/1964 Canada- 245,897 1/1926 Great Britain. References Cited by the Examiner 417187 10/1934 Great Bmam' UNITED STATES PATENTS JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

927,785 7/1909 Galbraith 2 239 10 J. R. BOLER, Asssla/ztExamner. 

1. A FOOT PROTECTOR FOR THE BEDRIDDEN COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SOCK HAVING TOE, FOOT, HEEL, AND ANKLE COVERING PORTIONS ADPATED TO COMPLETELY COVER THE TOES, FOOT, HEEL, AND ANKLE OF A WEARER, A PAD COMPRISING A REAR HEEL COVERING PORTION AND A PAIR OF SIDE COVERING PORTIONS, AND MEANS FIXING SAID PAD WITHIN SAID SOCK WITH SAID REAR PORTION SECURED TO THE HEEL COVERING PORTION OF SAID SOCK AND ONE OF SAID SIDE PORTIONS EXTENDING ALONG AND BEING SECURED TO EACH SIDE OF SAID FOOT COVERING PORTION OF SAID SOCK SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE WAY TO THE TOE COVERING PORTION OF SAID SOCK, SAID PAD THEREBY BEING ADAPTED TO PROTECT THE HEEL AND THEE SIDES OF A WEARER''S FOOT. 